In the kitchen, Sakazuki took a deep breath then looked back at the figure sitting in the living room.
Under his military cap, those sharp eyes that had shown no emotional fluctuation for years gradually softened.
Although he wasn't entirely sure if the old woman before him was the mother who had died in his arms years ago, the feeling of a mother-son bond grew stronger.
However, he didn't recklessly acknowledge her. Drawing from his almost faded memories, he decided to prepare a bowl of food his mother had loved to make—or rather, the food he had loved.
Born in the North Sea, where the climate was cold, he had developed a taste for white rice with chili peppers from a young age.
It wasn't so much that he liked it, but it was what was available. This habit had stayed with him, and gradually, his subordinates and even colleagues who didn't interact much with him knew that his favorite was white rice with chili peppers.
But considering the old woman was hungry, he abandoned the idea of testing her and skillfully prepared a bowl of ramen for her. In no time, he brought a steaming bowl of ramen to the old woman.
Then, he quickly returned to the kitchen, brought out a bowl of rice, grabbed a few fresh chili peppers, and sat across from the old woman, eating voraciously as if he hadn't eaten for three days.
Momonga, sitting beside the old woman, was baffled, his head filled with question marks.
Sakazuki actions soon caught the old woman attention. After watching Sakazuki for a while, the old woman, as if forgetting her hunger, cautiously asked.
"Are you also my grandson colleague?"
Sakazuki nodded.
The old woman perked up, leaned closer to Sakazuki, and tentatively asked.
"Could you share some of your white rice and chili peppers with me?"
Sakazuki was momentarily stunned, then placed the bowl of rice in front of the old woman.
Seeing this, the old woman, as if afraid Sakazuki might change his mind, quickly took the bowl of rice and the chili peppers from the table and hid them underneath, whispering mysteriously.
"My son loved white rice and chili peppers..."
Before the old woman could finish her sentence, she suddenly slumped her head in despair, her voice choking up in an instant.
"But I can't find my son anymore."
Before the words even settled, the old woman immediately turned her head toward Momonga.
"Hey, you... can you help me find my son?"
"Of course, of course" Momonga nodded repeatedly. "We've been searching for him all these years."
"Oh, what's my son's name?" The old woman thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up in a panic, her face filled with urgency.
"I... I forgot who my son is. Who... who is my son?"
"That's right, white rice and chili peppers~" After pacing around in circles, the old woman retrieved a bowl of white rice and some chili peppers from under the table and handed them to Momonga.
"My son loves white rice and chili peppers the most. Can you help me find him?"
Momonga took the bowl and the chili peppers, then placed them in front of Sakazuki, tentatively saying.
"Lady, does he look like your son? His name is Sakazuki, and he's an admiral of the Marine Headquarters!"
"Who's Sakazuki?" The old woman glanced at Sakazuki and shook her head.
"How could he be my son? My son isn't that old. He's only eight years old..."
Momonga shrugged helplessly and explained to Sakazuki.
"I'm sorry, Admiral Sakazuki. The Lady dementia is getting worse. she can't even remember Lord Orion most of the time. He only knows that Orion is her grandson, but she doesn't know who Orion is..."
Before Momonga could finish, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes as he stared at Sakazuki in disbelief.
At that moment, Sakazuki had pulled his hat brim down low, making it impossible for Momonga to see his eyes. But Momonga did see two silent tears streaming down Sakazuki face.
Sakazuki emotions were a mix of excitement and complexity. He was certain that the old woman before him was his mother, who had "died" in his arms all those years ago. But he didn't dare acknowledge her. Because it was he who had buried his still-living mother in the yard back then.
If he had dug the grave deeper that day, he would have become the true murderer who killed his mother. The thought of his mother waking up beneath the soil sent a sharp pain through his heart, nearly suffocating him.
Most importantly, even after decades, though his mother had forgotten who he was, she had never forgotten his favorite white rice and chili peppers.
After a brief silence, Sakazuki suddenly stood up, disregarding his usual demeanor, tears streaming down his face as he quickly moved behind the old woman and lifted her clothes.
As the old woman clothes were lifted, a scar running across her back immediately caught his eye. Even after so many years, the scar remained clearly visible. With his years of experience, he instantly recognized it as a wound caused by a blade piercing through her chest and exiting her back.
As he gazed at the scar, the image of his mother being pierced by a pirate's blade in his childhood flashed before his eyes.
"Let... let go of me!" The old woman was clearly frightened by Sakazuki sudden action.
She quickly turned around and slapped Sakazuki across the face, then tremblingly ran behind Momonga, clutching his arm in fear.
After being slapped, Sakazuki stood still, took a deep breath with his head slightly raised and then, facing the old woman, he suddenly knelt down with a thud his voice trembling as he called out.
"Mother..."
Before he could finish, Sakazuki bowed his head heavily, his shoulders shaking violently, clearly struggling to control his emotions and prevent himself from crying out loud.
...
The Marine headquarters in Marineford was filled with the smell of gunpowder. Although the situation was mostly under control, a few officers were still looking for opportunities to resist.
Unlike the various fortresses in Marineford, where gunshots and explosions echoed through the night, the courtyard where Orion resided was eerily quiet.
Sakazuki had calmed down. Relying on the fragmented memories in his mind and the innate sense of familiarity, he no longer doubted the old woman identity and quietly stayed by her side.
The old woman memory was severely confused. One moment she was fiercely protecting a bowl of plain rice and some chili peppers and the next, upon seeing the tear-streaked face of Sakazuki, she handed the rice and chili peppers back to him.
Sakazuki didn't speak, burying his head in the food. Though it was just simple plain rice and chili peppers, it was the first time in decades that he had eaten something so delicious.
"You like plain rice and chili peppers too," the old woman said, not touching her chopsticks, her eyes fixed on Sakazuki with kindness.
"Just like my son. If you ever find him, you mustn't bully him. He's always wanted to be a Marine since he was a child... By the way, what's your name?"
Hearing his mother incessant chatter, Sakazuki, who was devouring the food, thought of the time he had buried his still-living mother with his own hands. Tears once again welled up uncontrollably in his eyes. However, he managed to reply in time.
"Sakazuki."
"Sakazuki?" The old woman blinked, as if pondering something. "My son... By the way, do you know my son name?!"
Sakazuki replied again.
"Sakazuki!"